Roleplay Central

"What's going on?" Clara whispered, wide-eyed. "I'm scared, Shiralee. That man down there - his voice sounds familiar. It's like the man who was talking to the one who shot you."
When she heard his voice again, she hushed, closing her eyelids gently. "I'm so scared, Shiralee."

"I'm going to protect you", Shiralee whispered comfortingly, holding her close and securely in case someone decided to barge through the attic door and attack.

I will protect you.

Forever.

I love you, Clara.

I won't let anyone hurt you.

Those were just a few of all the things she wanted to say, but she remained silent. The last thing she wanted to do was lead the man upstairs to them, whether or not he was an enemy. She shut her eyes gently, her arms firm around Clara. "Everything's going to be okay".

Casper pressed his ear against the attic door, listening into the conversation.

"You know what I speak of, Sulla. You seem to be assuming I am an enemy to you, yet we are well allies. The darkness is coming, and we have to fight -" Something crashed from upstairs in the attic. The man sped up the staircase, throwing the attic door open before Sulla had a chance to stop him. Nothing. The room was empty.

Shiralee kept her eyes shut tight, concentrating on keeping she and the others hidden from sight. She didn't believe this man was an enemy, but keeping Clara safe was her main priority. She repeated the words in her head - the only thing that kept them invisible to the stranger.

Avello shamen de spar loo cadres nemanne api dejuir. Avello shamen de spar lov cadres nemanne api dejuir. Hide us from the eyes of he, who searches for the broken key, to sight to what he wants to see … invisible, we shall be.

Sulla stormed up towards Zander, her eyes blazing. They were an equal match of power, and no-one that had any sense of intelligence would want to be near when a fight broke out between the two. "Don't you dare rampage around my house!" she pointed a shaking finger at him. "I don't want to be any part of this dark talk! My boy ain't stepping foot into those shadows, and you know it well!" Zander smirked in response. "You speak of him as if he is a child of your own", he spoke, his eyes darkening at the slightest. Sulla didn't budge. If she was afraid of him, she certainly didn't show it. "You ought to keep that mouth of yours shut before I shove one of Mrs. Gaven's pies into it! He's just as good as any boy of mine, and I say he ain't going dark, and you better get out of my house before I beat some sense into you!" Silence passed. Zander fired back. "If you had some sense of your own, you may realise this isn't my first choice. He must make the sacrifice, or he will #### us all".

Casper froze. The man didn't want Clara. He wanted him … but could it be true? Was this his fate - to either become dark and possibly murder millions of innocent people, or be sacrificed? Shiralee had opened her eyes, too. She was staring at him, for she knew the same thing he did. Clara wasn't the only one in danger anymore.

Kai stopped breathing when the door flew open,. He looked at the person who had opened the door and moved his gaze back to the others, Sulla was talking to this Zander guy about some sacrificial things, at that exact moment he saw Casper's reaction to what they had just said. "They want you," Kai spoke, his voice audible to only himself.

"I don't want them to #### Caspar," Clara whispered, her eyes wide with upset and shock. "He's my friend." Slowly, she reached out and held Caspar's hand, attempting to be supportive, but already in need of it herself.
"I want to get out of here," she whispered in Shiralee's ear. "I'm frightened. Could I climb quietly out of the window? I could wait for you outside, I'd be hiding so no one could find me."

Red muttered slowly under her breath still flashing angry looks at the door. She stared at Caser, her eyes narrowed and placed her hands on her hips. Murmuring seemed t help her adjust to the quietness. She sighed and pulled her legs up to her knees.

She repeated the same words n her head that had been going off since who knows when.

Shiralee moved towards the window, glancing down at the possible injury that could be gained from the fall. She clutched onto Clara's hands, kneeling down so that they were face to face. "Okay, but you have to be quiet", she whispered. "Climb down the vines growing along the walls of the house - and get Casper to take you, to make sure you don't break a leg. I'll come last ... I think there's still some information we can gain from their conversations". She gently gestured her head towards the two figures down the hall, Sulla and Zander. Their arguing had seemed to lower to whispering and murmuring, as if they didn't want anyone else to hear what they were saying. As Zander turned, staring into the other room, Shiralee could only #### ### a few words from the movement of Sulla's lips. The message was meant for her. 'Run, and don't come back'. Then their was a voice in her head; not ####### exactly, but a voice that was both similar and familiar. She now knew where they had to go.

Clara nodded with anxiety, slowly slipping out of the window and lowering herself to the ground - landing softly on the moss, a small crunch of leaves. She pressed herself against the wall, waiting for Casper to follow her. Then she jumped slightly when she heard a voice.
"Hello, little one." It was a man, she could see that when the moonlight echoed off his face. She pressed harder against the wall.
"I know you're there. Come on out, we won't #### ###."
Slowly, Clara poked her head out from her hiding place. She saw shock on their faces - then triumph.
"Come on, look at our van. Do you want to hop inside and take a look?"
She shook her head vigorously.
"But your friend, Shiralee is in there waiting for you."
Clara spoke for the first time, her voice trembling. "No, she's - she's up there."
"Come and look in our van, little girl."
"No."
They nodded at each other, and stepped forwards, grabbing her arms. She knew what to do.
"Shiralee!" she screamed, turning her throat slightly coarse. One man slapped a hand over her mouth whilst the other shoved her into the van, slamming the door shut. "Keep quiet, you little brat," one of them whispered - the one muffling her mouth. The van started up, accelerating off.
"Are you sure this will draw that Casper lad over here?"
"It has to - or at least the girl. Phone her now."

Being the closest to the window, Casper leapt out first. His blazing eyes settled on the van, and the two grinning men in the front. "Let her go", he snarled lowly, his pupils flashing into snake-like slits, the iris becoming an intense golden yellow. The first man stepped on the brakes, starting up the car, and ignoring Casper's presence. At Casper's will, a snake uncurled from under his sleeve and crashed through the window, biting into the man's throat, and choking him through the gushing blood. Shiralee leapt down behind him as soon as she heard Clara's cry, her eyes flooded with an aching anguish. "I'm coming, Clara! I promise", she called out, chasing after the now speeding van. She managed to grab hold of the back of the vehicle, noticing that Casper had run off into the woods. She knew one thing for certain. He wasn't a coward, and he had a plan.